The list of abusive words that the Censor Board of Film Certificate (CBFC) wants banned in ­movies has received much flak from the film industry.

The list of abusive words that the Censor Board of Film Certificate (CBFC) wants banned in &shy;movies has received much flak from the film industry. While the list has been put on hold for now, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says banning the words will not let cinema portray &shy;reality. “If these cuss words are used only to &shy;sensationalise the film, then yes, they should be banned. But sometimes, these words reflect the &shy;language of that film. If you are a gangster, you will not go and tell the man you are just going to kill, ‘Aaaiye janaab, kaise hain aap? Agar aap bura na &shy;maanein toh main aap ko 8-10 goliyaan maar dun?’ If an actor is playing a gangster, he will abuse and use foul &shy;language,” explains Nawaz.

He adds that had the list been &shy;implemented on films such as Omkara (2006) and Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) — that had a lot of cuss words — they wouldn’t have had the same effect. “You have to make the films realistic to make an impact. Otherwise, the &shy;audience won’t be able to relate to the story. I don’t think Omkara and Gangs... would have had the same impact if they had abided by the current list.”

“The ethos of the society that the film portrays, help the &shy;audience connect with the film. Without that, it will be a superfluous film and no one would be interested in &shy;watching it,” he adds.